


Project Gecko - alternative bad ending

by sd1970x



Series: Project Gecko [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Be Careful What You Wish For, Death, F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26134024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sd1970x/pseuds/sd1970x
Summary: *** This is not a standalone work and must not be read as such. ***this is the alternative ending which happens when Ladybug is unable to figure it all out.Major spoilers to 'Project Gecko' - https://archiveofourown.org/works/17044316/chapters/40074329 should be read at least up to chapter 15.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, OC/?
Series: Project Gecko [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897738
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	Project Gecko - alternative bad ending

**Author's Note:**

> Academy award candidate for world's saddest/angstiest transformation.
> 
> Major spoilers if you haven't read the main piece yet. Proceed at your own discretion.

Ladybug looked at the sobbing figure on the ground and realized she must do something for her. But what?

_ First things first, I think she really needs a hug now. _

Ladybug slowly and gently embraced her, letting her ride it out.

“It’s okay, Gecko. We all deserve love and affection. And as your commander, it is my personal responsibility to make it happen for you.”

A puzzled look came about her.

“There’s nothing you can do, commander. Not even you. I guess that’s my fate, to live my life in this prison. So close, and yet forever so far.”

Ladybug came to respond, but no words came out.

_ She’s right. There’s nothing I can do for her. _

A few minutes afterwards, Gecko finally seemed more composed as she wiped away her remaining tears.

“I’ve grown accustomed to it by now. I don’t want to burden you with my own troubles. Your friendship means everything to me and so, I’ll just keep doing what I can do best.”

\--

In the upcoming weeks, Ladybug realized what that had meant. Gecko took her training up several levels. In fact, Ladybug struggled to think of any recent occasion when Gecko wasn’t training. She also engaged akumas a lot more frequently and with decisiveness unseen before.

“Gecko, I need you to stop for a moment.” Ladybug called for her and she came eagerly. 

“I’m concerned that you are overworking yourself. This is no way to live!”

“Is it, commander?” she countered. “I have nothing but a purpose in this life. And I’ll defeat Hawk Moth. for you.”

\---

Ladybug saw it all as if in slow motion. Gecko was engulfed in the mind control ray and her eyes went dull.

“And now, Rena Rouge, hand me your miraculous!” called TheShadow.

By compulsion, she reached for her miraculous, tossing it a few meters away from her. A dustful of glitter seemed to blow away as she suddenly detransformed into Natsuru. 

“A boy? How strange. Didn’t see that one coming.”

Natsuru himself was not under her control, but was powerless to engage her and fled for safety.

Luckily enough, Chat Noir and Ladybug were quick to dispatch the akuma victim, returning the miraculous back to Natsuru before TheShadow could deliver it to Hawk Moth.

Natsuru clenched it like the treasure it was to him and hugged it tight.

\---

Natsuru sat by a bench at the park as he cautiously called Likk out, having to share the experience of the sudden detransformation.

“Hey, Likk.”

“Hey, Natsuru.” Likk answered briefly, all teary-eyed.

“Why… why are you crying exactly? We’re all back together, aren’t we?”

“Natsuru… I’m… sorry.” His Kwami managed, before lowering his head again.

“What are you sorry about?” By now, Natsuru became extremely worried. “What happened to her? You were always a bit cryptic on that part.”

“Please don’t ask me that…”

“Is she hurt or something?”

“Please, Natsuru, I beg of you.”

“How badly is she hurt, Likk?”

“She’s… she’s not hurt… it’s…”

“If she’s not hurt, then what…”

Likk paused for as long as the magic binding him to answer his owner allowed him to.

“She’s gone.”

“Gone where?”

Likk sighed.

“Gecko needed to return to the quantic plane, something an abrupt detransformation precludes. She didn’t make it.”

Natsuru gasped for air, as he tried to process the news.

“No. You’re wrong! You are wrong about this!”

“I wish I were, please…”

“You’re wrong and I’ll prove it.” He hissed back in protest.

Likk shook his head as tears started welling up in Natsuru’s eyes. Natsuru pulled a note from his pocket and wrote a single line on it.

“ _ I know you’re okay, I just need you to write it down for me. _ ”

“See? I am going to call a transformation…” he waved the note in defiance, “... And she is going to be here. It will be the same as always. It must be.”

“No! You mustn’t!” his Kwami tried to dissuade him, in vain.

“It has to be, Likk. She can’t be gone, you hear me? She’s a superheroine. Nothing can ever stop her. She’s  _ onee-sama _ . It’s impossible!”

“Natsuru, I beg of you, do not ca-”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

His voice broke down as he called the command.

“Likk, scale up!”

\---

Natsuru felt Likk being sucked into the miraculous, but at the moment, the very thing his mind denied was now aiming for his body. As much as he tried to refuse the sensation, it was impossible. Instead of the feeling of being readjusted and falling into a gentle sleep, he felt as if his senses were amplified.

_ No… No! This is impossible! This can’t be happening! _

A feeling of revulsion and rejection tried to resist the process, to no avail. He felt his hands moving on their own, motioning over his eyes, the cyan mask forming over them.

_ I don’t want this! I don’t want this mask, I don’t want this suit, I don’t want these powers! _

Next was his body, a cyan bodysuit forming over it. Boots with a Gecko foot print completed the transformation.

_ These belong to her, not me! These are hers! They were never meant for me! _

Natsuru collapsed to earth, looking downwards, watching as his tears hit the ground one by one.

“This isn’t fair. This isn’t right. This can’t be happening.”

Natsuru took his phone and scrolled his video gallery, hands shaking, until he reached the video he wanted to play. It’s been a while since he allowed himself to let it play, but now he felt he needed it more than ever. Gecko’s voice came out of the phone.

_ “And now your song is on repeat, And I’m dancin' on to your heartbeat…” _

“I’m sorry,  _ Onee-sama _ …”

He slammed his fist at the ground.

_ “And when you’re gone, I feel incomplete, So if you want the truth... _

_ I just wanna be part of your symphony, Will you hold me tight and not let go?” _

He leaned against a nearby tree stump, still crouched, tears freely flowing, holding himself as if experiencing physical pain.

“I didn’t hold tight enough. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

_ Symphony… Like a love song on the radio… Will you hold me tight and not let go?” _

He buried his face in his hands as he wept.

“She’s gone… I can’t believe she’s gone… my love… my soulmate… my… my everything!”

\---

The motor of the shutters at Hawk Moth’s lair whirred, as light shone upon his domain yet again.

“I know this feeling.” Hawk Moth shuddered as it hit him.

“I felt it the day I realized I had lost Emilie. The feeling of a void that will never be filled again.”

As proud as he was in his work and as dedicated as he was to the goal, something about this one stopped him from being happy.

“Go forth, my akuma. Do your thing and get it done with.”

He infused the butterfly with dark energy and watched it as it flew away.

_ I don’t have a good feeling about it. _

\---

As distracted as he was, Natsuru was perceptive enough to see the Akuma approach him. His eyes burned with rage at the sight.

_ Hawk Moth. You are responsible for this, and now you dare try to akumatize me? _

Natsuru went invisible and looked with satisfaction as the butterfly lost its course.

_ With great vengeance and furious anger, You shall feel my strike. For I am my sister’s keeper and that is the only path left for me. _

\---

Adrien looked at the empty space where Natsuru was supposed to be sitting and he felt something was not boding well. He exchanged a quick look with Marinette, who appeared just as worried as he was. She signaled to him that a meeting during recess would be welcome and he quickly nodded to that.

.

“Adrien… I’m afraid. I think something bad happened to Gecko and I’m afraid Natsuru might not take it well.”

_ So I’m not the only one who is so concerned. But we can still solve this. _

Adrien was quick to respond, holding her hand.

“It’s okay… we can handle this. We’ll find out what happened exactly. ”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, dear. I’m sure.”

“And what if it’s too late to do anything?” She persisted.

“We’re the Cat and Bug team. It’s a promise.״

Marinette finally allowed herself some relief and a brief smile, embracing Adrien.

“Give me your hand.” she said softly, and gently cupped his hand between both of hers.

“Thank you, Adrien. I believe in you. Also, I’m so sorry.”

“About what?”

“THIS.”

Marinette quickly pulled both her hands, still clasping his, thus removing his ring and quickly placing it on her hand. A sharp, superpowered blow to the back of his neck and Adrien found himself collapsing unconscious to the ground.

A moment later, Natsuru morphed back into his canonical form, now donning the ring, in addition to the gecko pendant and the earrings. 

Chloe and Alya came by, but by now Natsuru couldn’t care less about secrecy anymore.

“Plagg, Tikki, Likk, unify!” he called it.

\---

Gabriel set to watch the news on TV, as did all the citizens of Paris, surprised by the odd boy that had somehow taken over the station.

“Hmm… I know this boy. Perhaps this will play out to my advantage.”

The figure on TV straightened towards the camera and started to speak.

“Hawk Moth, I would like to offer you a deal, as I now hold the Gecko miraculous.”

“The Gecko miraculous? That’s interesting. I hope to lay my hands on that soon enough.”

“And the Cat miraculous.”

“Two for one it is, then. I can feel your anger without being transformed.” Gabriel cackled slightly as he slowly set to pace towards his lair. “Oh, I’ll definitely deal with you.”

“And the Ladybug miraculous.”

Gabriel froze mid-step and looked back at the TV, his face muscles twitching and shaking uncontrollably.

“Before your inevitable death, my wish shall force you to watch the people you care for the most, die one by one, in front of your very eyes.”

Gabriel took a quick worried look at Nathalie and then one towards Adrien’s room, above, as he began running towards it. TV continued to broadcast Natsuru’s announcement.

“But, before they die, they too will watch the people they care the most for, die one by one in front of their very eyes. So the last thing you’ll remember is their anguished faces looking at you, accusingly.”

Gabriel almost reached the room’s door handle as Natsuru called his last line.

“I want her back and this will be the price to be paid. Tikki, Plagg, Enact!”

\---

Marinette, Adrien, Nathalie, Emilie and Gabriel all found themselves in the middle of a large stadium, with Gecko, Natsuru and Bunnix watching from a short distance.

“Natsuru… what is going on here?”

“I am sorry… I did this for you… for us!” he looked at her with pleading eyes.

“No… not like this. This wasn’t supposed to go down like this.”

They both looked at Bunnix.

“I am the hero of last resort,” she said, “and I’m here to return the favor I owe you.”

Before they could discuss it further, they were drawn to the happening in the middle of the field.

“Gabriel? What are we doing here?” Emilie asked softly, to which Gabriel managed to say nothing, but look back at her with tears in his eyes.

“We’ve always suspected you, Gabriel. Guess we were right.” Marinette said quietly.

“My son? Chat Noir? And you… Ladybug?”

“What a way to find out… but I guess none of that matters now, does it?” Adrien added.

“Adrien, I…”

Marinette stopped mid-sentence and clenched her chest. In a moment, her lifeless body hit the ground.

Emilie shrieked as she grabbed Gabriel and shook him. “What is going on?”

Adrien slowly picked Marinette's body up and cradled her in his arms, then looked at his father.

“Your greed has been your downfall. Our downfall.”

“No, Adrien, I did this bec-”

Gabriel stopped as he realized Adrien’s eyes went dull and his muscles relaxed, Marinette’s lifeless body falling into the ground followed by Adrien’s own body falling over her.

“No… why? What is happening?” Emilie cried in pain as she witnessed the horror around her, a rough outline of the events unraveling becoming clear to her, as she looked at Nathalie.

“I’m sorry I failed you, Sir. Madam.”

“No, Nathalie… it’s… Listen to me...”

Gabriel quickly stopped as he realized the futility of talking to a dead person. Nathalie’s body fell over sideways, not too far from Adrien’s.

“It’s my turn now, is it?” Emilie looked at Gabriel as he couldn’t say anything but nod briefly. In but a moment, her corpse lay on the ground as well. 

“I hope you savour your victory, child.” Gabriel turned towards a now sobbing Natsuru. “The lesson I failed to heed is now yours.”

That was the moment when Gabriel’s heart stopped beating and he fell towards the ground as well.

\---

Gecko rushed forwards, collapsing on top of Marinette’s dead body, weeping hysterically, mumbling incoherent words.

Natsuru stood from afar, watching the calamity his wish caused.

“I… I didn’t want this.” he whispered. “That’s not how it’s supposed to end!”

It was then when he felt Bunnix’s pat on his back. He turned towards her, all teary-eyed again.

“And it won’t, because no one wants it to end this way.”

She pulled his hand and dragged him to her burrow, putting a plate over his head.

“Your true wish has overcome fate, allowing me to intervene. In the timeline I’m taking you to, Ladybug does know what to do and that’s enough.”

She quickly located the timeline she wanted.

“Once you go through that Burrow, the next invocation of Ladybug’s power will erase you from existence. I suggest you go invisible and disrupt as little as possible.”

He nodded vigorously.

“Off you go then.” She said, as she pushed him through one of her burrow holes.

“Bye-bye, little Natsuru. Go and have your happy ending.”


End file.
